what does that mean on the ground in syria for the rebel forces? >> well, it's hard to tell if it's going to mean anything, really. because what we're hearing now, uniformly from rebel groups on the ground after the designation by the united states of the nusra front as a foreign terrorist organization, look you can't not arm us, not finance us, and at the same time tell us not to rely on the best sort of armed and financed subgroup in the anti-assad fight. so rebel groups are saying you're putting us in a difficult position. they're having in some cases to rely on the jihadist group and its tactics reminiscent of what happened in iraq, suzanne, as you know with the car bombings and suicide bombings, in order to make battlefield gains. you saw nick paton walsh's pieces as well one of the most significant battleground advances, the reported occupation, i should say taking, of the army base west of aleppo was made by the nusra front. rebels are in a position where they feel they have no choice. other rebels are saying, look, once this assad regime is